Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Citizens will prevent the increase in electricity tariffs, says Babken
Pipoyan (video)

19:51 | June 6,2014 | Interview

The studies and justifications of the Public Services Regulatory
Commission concerning increase in electricity prices do not inspire
faith, says Babken Pipoyan, Chairman of the Informed and Protected
Consumer NGO.

He reminds that the raised electricity prices in 2013 were blamed on
the increase in gas tariffs.

“It turns out that new rise of electricity tariffs, which is not
grounded by any document, is awaiting us. And now we are to guess the
reasons behind the pending hike. I want to remind the relevant bodies
that we have numerous hydropower plants that will provide electricity
at an affordable price,” he said.

Mr Pipoyan added that citizens will stand up and prevent the increase
in electricity tariffs.

Three Political Parties Discuss Centennial

By MassisPost
Updated: June 5, 2014

ALTADENA–Representatives of the three traditional Armenian political
parties–the Social Democratic Hunchagian Party, the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation and the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party met
on May 28 at the ADL’s Beshguetourian Center to discuss preparations
for the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide as well as issues
of concern about Western US community, Armenia, Artsakh and the
Diaspora.

The chairpersons of each party’s Western Region leadership and other
members attended the meeting.

Among other subjects discussed were the activities of Armenia Fund,
the Kessab crisis, the aid to Syrian Armenians as well as immigration
from Armenia and the Middle East. The meeting was concluded with a
consensus to hold such meeting more frequently to address community
concerns, as well as discuss pressing issues involving the homeland
and the Diaspora.

10 points- from SDHP

17:28 | June 7,2014 | Politics

RA development road map by the Social Democratic Hnchakyan Party

INNER POLICY

1. Parliamentary republic, National Assembly’s 100% proportional electoral system.

2. Abolition of oligarchy from state government system.

3. Optimization of the state apparatus, reduction of exaggerated expenses.

4. Tax amnesty for small and medium businesses, new small business tax
exemption for at least 1 year.

5. Innovative science as a priority, 5-year tax exemption for IT companies.

6. State control over the mining exploitation

A) Raising tax threshold for operating mines

B) State control package for new mines

7. Decentralization of the state government system into border regions.

FOREIGN POLICY

1. Artsakh return to the negotiating process.

2. Membership in the Eurasian Union only under decent conditions.

3. Ahead of 100th anniversary of Armenian Genocide, Armenian-Turkish
protocols withdrawal from the RA NA.

“Bad opposition is more dangerous”

16:00 | June 7,2014 | Politics

“Satanic movement has been formed in Armenia. Leave, leave the
country,” in the conversation with “A1+” said public figure Khachik
Stamboltsyan. According to him, everything is confused in the country.

According to him, ruling authorities must change their moral image to
reach success.

“If they change, they will succeed, if no they won’t,”- he noted.

The latter doesn’t foresee government change in Armenia.

“Who must carry out government change, political parties- HAK,
Heritage, Dashnaktsutyun? Bad opposition is more dangerous than the
government,”- he summed up.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

His Holiness met with the Ambassadors of
Armenia and Lebanon in Vatican
During his visit to the Vatican, His Holiness Aram I also met with the
ambassadors of Armenia and Lebanon.
After these meetings the Lebanese ambassador General George khoury
stressed the particular importance of His Holiness’ visit to the Vatican,
for the Middle East in general and Lebanon in particular. He reminded that
Pope Francis has always showed his support for the Christians in the Middle
East. His Holiness in his turn emphasized the importance of unity and peace
in Lebanon as well as electing a president for the Lebanese republic as soon
as possible.
During his meeting with the Armenian ambassador Michael Minassian, His
Holiness mentioned that being in the Armenian embassy it feels like being on
an Armenian land. The Catholicos highlighted the important role of the
Armenian ambassadors around the word, in relaying the recognition and
reparation of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Meeting of His Holiness with Vatican’s Secretary State and President of
Eastern Catholic Churches

Within the scope of his official visit to the Vatican, His Holiness met
with Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Parolini. They discussed issue
related to the Middle East as well as major concerns and challenges facing
the Christian communities. The Armenian Genocide was also discussed and His
Holiness appreciated the support of the Vatican.
On the other hand, Cardinal Parolini expressed his concerns regarding the
actual situation of Christians in the Middle East. He also reminded that the
Vatican continues its support of the Armenian cause.
Afterwards, His Holiness met with the President of the Eastern Catholic
Churches Department Cardinal Sandrini. The issue of Middle East was brought
up and they stressed on the importance of collaboration between the
churches.

His Holiness Aram I expresses his concern to the Syrian authorities
regarding the recent bombardment of Armenian neighbourhoods

Antelias . 7 June 2014. While visiting Pope Francis I in Rome, Catholicos
Aram I received a report from Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian, prelate of the
Armenian Diocese of Peria (Syria), on the aggression against Armenians in
the Nor Kyugh neighbourhood of Aleppo. According to the report, Armenian
Churches, schools and residences are being bombarded in the densely
populated neighbourhood. These attacks have resulted in many persons being
injured and killed. In an attempt to stop the bombardments, His Holiness
contacted the Syrian authorities and the opposition leaders through third
parties. During his private meeting with Pope Francis I, the Catholicos also
asked the Pope to mediate.

##

OSCE CALLS FOR NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT BASED ON MADRID PRINCIPLES

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
June 5 2014

5 June 2014, 10:15 (GMT+05:00)
By Sara Rajabova

A new meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents could be the
beginning of a new chapter in two sides’ negotiations, OSCE Chairman,
Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter said in Yerevan on June 4.

During his latest visit to Armenia, Francois Hollande said France is
ready to organize the meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents.

Burkhalter stressed the importance of the Minsk Group format saying:
“I express my full respect for the format to solve this complicated
problem. This is really difficult, and we do not underestimate its
importance.”

He noted: “There were losses, and we do not forget them”. Burkhalter
emphasized that the status quo is needs to be changed, adding this
is important to head towards peace by taking small steps.

He also stressed the importance of finding a solution based on the
Madrid Principles and international laws.

“To this end, we can provide mediation assistance, expert, political
and financial support. We can do it during the presidency of
Switzerland, as well as after that, if necessary,” Burkhalter said.

He noted that the assistance is possible in the form of measures
aimed at improving the atmosphere of trust, people-to-people contacts,
and environmental issues.

“Promotion of peace is one of the objectives enshrined in the
Constitution of Switzerland,” Burkhalter concluded.

The precarious cease-fire between Azerbaijan and Armenia was reached
after a lengthy war that displaced over a million Azerbaijanis. It
has been in place between the two South Caucasus countries since 1994.

Since the hostilities, Armenian armed forces have occupied over
20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Peace talks, mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. through the OSCE
Minsk Group, are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed
by the Minsk Group co-chairs dubbed the Madrid Principles. The
negotiations have been largely fruitless so far.

The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenia’s
withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been
enforced to this day.

ARMENIA NOT ANTI-SEMITIC COUNTRY, HEAD OF JEWISH COMMUNITY SAYS

19:12 * 05.06.14

Head of the Jewish community in Armenia Rima Varzhapetyan intends to
address an open letter to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

According to an ADL report, Armenia is the most anti-Semitic member
of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), with 58% of the
population harboring anti-Semitic attitudes.

“The Jewish community, as a national minority, has never been
maltreated in Armenia. There is a synagogue here. And the issue of
Israel recognizing the Armenian Genocide is our only concern because
it is a cause of debates inside Armenia. It is commonly understood,
though, that Israel will not recognize the Armenian Genocide for
security reasons. But it is universally recognized at the level
of people’s diplomacy, and it is people’s wish that the problem be
resolved,” Varzhapetyan said.

“We are indignant at the poll results. We do not know anything about
the respondents. The question may have been ‘Do you love Jews?’ or
‘Why do not Jews recognize the Armenian Genocide?'”

Although the Jewish community in Armenia has officially registered
700-800 members, many more Jews are living in Armenia.

“They are mostly mixed marriages and do not consider it necessary
to register their national identity. But all of them take part in
different events. So we can speak of a Jewish community of several
thousand people in Armenia,” Varzhapetyan said.

Jews have been living in Armenia for centuries, and although many of
them have emigrated to Israel, they regularly visit Armenia, and even
bring their children here.

EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION
For Justice and Democracy
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
Bruxelles, 1000
Belgique

Tel./Fax : +32 (0) 2 732 70 26 / 27
E-mail : [email protected]
Web:

EAFJD condemns the continued attacks on Aleppo

>From the very beginning of the civil war in Syria, the Armenian
Community in Aleppo has suffered, big losses in lives, injuries and
properties, being in the center of the battleground between the Army
and the opposition forces. The situation has been deteriorated the
last period, from the moment that in the area the main forces fighting
against the army, are the Al Qaeda affiliated forces.

There is no doubt that those extremist rebel forces, are armed by
Turkey and entering from there, do not fight against the armed forces,
but basically their attacks are aimed against the population in the
cities and villages. Recently, they attacked the Armenian populated
town of Kessab, entering from Turkey, forcing the entire population to
evacuate the town and find shelter in the city of Latakia. During the
last days those forces entering again from Turkey are attacking
Aleppo, targeting basically the Armenian populated neighborhoods and
especially Nor Kyough.

As reported by news agencies also, incessant rocket fire against the
Nor Kyough neighborhood, from the Al Qaeda affiliated forces, are
endangering the lives of the population and are causing massive
destruction. Armenian churches, schools, institutions, houses and
stores are in complete or partial destruction, making life unbearable
for the citizens of the town, thus causing a new wave of evacuation
towards Latakia, which is already overflowing with Armenian refugees
from the insurgence of the terrorist groups in Kessab early this
spring.

In view of this terribly inhuman situation the Emergency Relief Body
of Syrian Armenians (ERBSA) has declared the Armenian Nor Kyough
neighborhood in Aleppo a DISASTER ZONE.

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy condemns
these continuing attacks against the Armenian population in
Syria. There is no doubt that those Al Qaeda affiliated forces are
considering now as their target the Armenian towns and neighborhoods
and there is evidence that these growing attacks are being encouraged
by third countries and especially Turkey, where those groups are armed
and circulate freely between the borders of Turkey and Syria, besides
all the fake assurances of Turkey for the contrary.

We call on the European Union, that it is time to stop acting as it
does until now and condemn strongly the above attacks and to exercise
pressure on Turkey to stop arming those rebel groups and sending them
to Syria to attack Armenian towns and neighborhoods. We call on all
governments, especially those who are supporting the opposition forces
to immediately use their leverage to halt the attacks on the Armenian
neighborhoods. These governments which do not work to end the
operation will be considered moral accomplices in the anti-Armenian
attacks and all the other crimes perpetrated by those extremist
groups.

We call on the Syrian authorities to initiate immediate measures to
secure the physical safety of the unarmed civilians, aspiring to leave
in safety and peace in their towns and neighborhoods.

The Armenian nation who has suffered a genocide perpetrated by Turkey
and other terrible situations, has survived and will not tolerate any
new plans to mass attacks against our compatriots in Syria and will
respond accordingly all over the world to protect them.

eafjd.eu
@eafjd
facebook.com/European.Armenian.Federation

DOES THE EURASIAN UNION HAVE A SEPARATIST PROBLEM?

EurasiaNet.org
June 5 2014

June 5, 2014 – 10:54am, by Giorgi Lomsadze

Perhaps the most prickly question about the Eurasian Union — the new,
Russia-centric trade club — is whether or not its members can bring
to this neo-Soviet party their significant others. In other words,
associated separatist dependencies.

Like with many Moscow clubs, there is face-control in the Eurasian
Union. For now, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus have it all to
themselves. Disputed breakaway formations like Nagorno Karabakh,
Abkhazia and South Ossetia, though, are also keen for inclusion.

But getting the separatist territories in would cause a wave of bad
blood between the Eurasian Union members and the countries (Azerbaijan
and Georgia, respectively) who demand these territories back. Leaving
them out, in turn, may hamper the territories’ ability to get economic
sustenance from club-founder Russia and prospective member Armenia.

This is a pain in the neck, in particular, for Armenia, which already
has been requested by the club to leave its own protege, Nagorno
Karabakh, in the cloakroom.

Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev last week quite curtly
told his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sargsyan, that none of the
founding members have any desire to aggravate Azerbaijan. You only
get in “within the boundaries recognised by the United Nations,”
he advised at an Astana roundtable.

Sargsyan, a Karabakh native, later said that Armenia never intended
to slip the mountainous territory (which Yerevan essentially views
as a separate country) into the club.

It may have been a pragmatic response, but now Sargsyan faces criticism
both at home and in Karabakh. The Karabakhi separatist de-facto
authorities and Armenian Economy Minister Chshmaritian insist there
will not be any customs clearance between Armenia and Karabakh.

Some Armenians also pointed out that, quite unfairly, Russia is not
entering the club within its own, UN-recognized borders, so why should
they? Moscow’s bringing along the recently annexed Crimean peninsula.

As yet, no official is saying publicly that this wrangle will cause a
delay in Armenia joining the club. The initiation date, however, has
again been pushed back; this time to July 1. And, after Nazarbayev’s
remarks, the chief Armenian negotiator was let go — for unclear
reasons, according to RFE/RL.

Meanwhile, Russia itself has the worry of what to do about its own
breakaway charges, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which now also want to
go clubbing with the Eurasian three. Belarus and, again, Kazakhstan,
which view Georgia as the de-jure owner of both territories, are
expected to put the kibosh on such notions, however.

In short, the Eurasian project is looking like a diplomatic
cluster-jam. Don’t expect customs points to mark its borders without
quite a few carefully worded disclaimers.

ARMENIA ACCUSES AZERBAIJAN OF KILLING TWO OF ITS SOLDIERS

Reuters
June 5 2014

YEREVAN/BAKU, June 5 Thu Jun 5, 2014 11:17pm IST

YEREVAN/BAKU, June 5 (Reuters) – Armenia said on Thursday that forces
of neighbouring Azerbaijan had killed two of its soldiers at the
border between the two countries involved in an unresolved conflict
that killed about 30,000 people in the early 1990s.

A military conflict between ethnic Azeris and Armenians erupted in
1991 over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous enclave within Azerbaijan
with a majority Armenian population. Armenian-backed forces seized
the area and seven surrounding Azeri districts.

Armenia’s Defence Ministry spokesman said the latest incident occurred
miles from Nagorno-Karabakh, where sporadic violence still flares
along a ceasefire line negotiated in 1994.

Skirmishes around Nagorno-Karabakh and along the border between
Armenia and Azerbaijan underline the risk of broader conflict in the
South Caucasus, where vital oil and natural gas flow from the Caspian
region to Europe.

Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry spokesman declined to comment on the
Armenian accusation.

The incident comes a day after the Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) head Didier Burkhalter visited the
region and urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to find a peaceful solution
to the conflict.

An Azeri officer was killed a few days ago at another part of the
border and the country’s defence ministry accused Armenia of violating
the ceasefire agreement.

Efforts to reach a permanent settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict have failed despite mediation led by France, Russia and the
United States.

Oil-producing Azerbaijan, host to global majors including BP ,
Chevron and ExxonMobil, frequently threatens to take the mountain
enclave back by force, and is spending heavily on its armed forces.

Armenia, an ally of Russia, says it would not stand by if
Nagorno-Karabakh were attacked. (Reporting by Hasmik Lazarian in
Yerevan and Nailia Bagirova in Baku; Writing by Margarita Antidze;
Editing by Ralph Boulton)